Dirk Voorhoof holds a master’s degree in law (1979) and Communication Sciences (1980), and a PhD in Law (1990) (Ghent University). He was a lawyer at the Brussels Bar (1990-1992), a member of the Federal Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (1994-2005), member of the Flemish Media Council (2005-2012) and member of the Flemish Regulator for the Media (2006-2016).
Professor at Ghent University (1992-2016), teaching the courses ‘Media Law’, ‘Copyright Law’, ‘Journalism & Ethics’ and ‘European Media Law’. From 2002-2007 he lectured at the University of Oxford, MLAP (Global Media Law Advocates Programme) and he has been teaching Media Law at Copenhagen University from 2004 to 2017 in the Law Faculty’s master programme. He is also a guest professor at Luxembourg University in the master programme on Space, Telecommunications and Media Law (since 2017). He is a founding member of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF, Leipzig) and of Legal Human Academy. He was also active in the JUFREX-pool of experts (Council of Europe/EU, 2017-2022), and in the Global FOE&I @Columbia experts network, Columbia University, New York (since 2014).
He took part in missions by the Council of Europe on media law, freedom of expression, journalists’ rights and access to public documents, including in Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Romania, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, North-Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Slovenia and Turkey (1992-2008). He was a member of the Committee of Experts on the role and responsibilities of Internet Intermediaries (MSI-NET, 2016-2018), and of the Committee of Experts on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) of the Council of Europe (2022-2023).
He reports on developments regarding freedom of expression, media and journalism in Europe, including in Iris, legal newsletter of the European Audiovisual Observatory. He is a member of the Human Rights Centre at Ghent University, and an active participant in CASE, the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe. He furthermore coordinates the Belgian anti-SLAPP working group (www.slapp.be).
He is the co-author of the free online e-book Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists: Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
For his publications click here.